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The Betel Roll, the Unity of Being, and the Problem of Speech: Poetic Closure in Bedil's Muhit-i A'zam
Abstract
The Muhit-i A'zam is the first of four long narrative poems by Mirza 'Abd al-Qadir Bedil (1644-1720), who is perhaps the foremost representative of the Indian style of Persian poetry. In this mystico-philosophical masnavi Bedil describes - through the symbolism of wine - the manifestation of the universe as a stage-by-stage unfolding or 'outpouring' and the eventual return to the divine essence (as earlier envisioned by Ibn al-'Arabi). Drawing on the long tradition of wine poetry in Persian literature, but at the same time aiming to transcend it, Bedil utilizes the rich imagery of wine for the illustration of mystical themes, as well as for the structural organization of his poem. He divides the Muhit-i A'zam - "the tavern of the manifestation of realities" - into eight chapters, or "rounds" (dawr), referring to the wine-cup's round around the circle of drinkers, as well as to the stages of ontological descent and ascent. This paper focuses on the closing "round" of the poem, titled "Sealing the Scroll of the Wandering of Language," examining the description of a contest between the ingredients of the betel roll (which takes up most of the chapter) and its relationship to the overall structure, imagery, and thematic content of the poem. More than a mere addition of Indian flavor to the poem, the description serves as a visually striking illustration of the doctrine of the Unity of Being and an equally striking and compelling ending to the poem.
Discipline
Literature
Geographic Area
India
Sub Area
13th-18th Centuries